Worf (Michael Dorn) looking stoic and hued blue and yellow, in front of a background with the Federation logo repeated

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The final act of Worf, the Star Trek legend who deserved one most of all

Michael Dorn’s Klingon officer is Star Trek’s MVP

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In television — as in sports — some records are simply unbreakable. No one will ever pitch more complete games than Cy Young, no one will ever hold pro wrestling’s highest title longer than Bruno Sammartino, and no one will ever make more appearances on Star Trek than Michael Dorn.

Between 1987 and 2002, Dorn portrayed Starfleet’s mighty and stoic Klingon expatriate Worf in 174 episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation , 98 episodes of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine , and four feature films. Add in his cameo as Worf’s grandfather in Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country , and that adds up to 277. Even after the revival of the franchise in 2017, this still accounts for nearly a third of the entire Star Trek canon . Now, Dorn has swapped his mek’leth for a kur’leth and glued on his bumpy prosthetic forehead once more to reprise the role of Worf in the final season of Star Trek: Picard , which reunites the Next Gen cast for one last adventure. It’s the chance to give one of sci-fi’s most beloved supporting characters something that’s usually reserved only for Captains and Admirals: a glorious third act.

Though he’s now one of the franchise’s most recognizable figures, Lt. Worf was a last-minute addition to the cast of Star Trek: The Next Generation . Series creator Gene Roddenberry hoped to avoid relying on familiar alien antagonists from the classic 1960s series , leading producer Robert Justman to suggest the addition of a Klingon to the crew of the Enterprise, symbolizing that their long Cold War with the Federation had come to an end. (It was 1987, after all.) Thus, security officer Worf was created, added into the final draft of the series pilot, and cast after the initial publicity photos for the series were shot. Thus, the early development of the character was left almost entirely in the hands of Dorn, then best known for a supporting role on the lighthearted police drama CHiPs .

“They really didn’t have a bible for Worf at all,” says Dorn of those early episodes. “In fact, one of the first things I did was, I asked the producers, ‘What do you want from this guy? You’ve just handed me a piece of paper that says Worf on it.’” With Roddenberry’s blessing, Dorn set out making the character his own, giving Worf the kind of personal investment and attachment that only an actor can provide. “I decided to make the guy the opposite of everybody else on the show. You know, everyone else, their attitudes were great, and they’re out there in space, relationships are forming. And after every mission they were like, Wasn’t that fantastic? I didn’t say anything to anybody, I just made him this gruff and surly character on the bridge. No smiles, no joking around.”

It didn’t take the show’s producers long to realize that Dorn’s gruff, joyless performance could effectively turn any bit of throwaway dialogue into a laugh line. Dorn recalls an incident while shooting the early episode “Justice,” in which Worf is welcomed to an idyllic alien world by an embrace from a beautiful, scantily clad woman, and retorts, simply, “Nice planet.” He hadn’t thought much of it, until he learned that the producers had been watching the take on repeat during dailies, laughing their asses off. From here on out, writers would attempt to insert deadpan “Worfisms” into scripts, producing some of the character’s most memorable moments, but also forcing Dorn to occasionally lay down the law about his character.

“That’s been one of the big issues about Worf’s character that I’ve tried to keep consistent,” says Dorn regarding writers’ tendency to play him for laughs. “Worf does not think he’s funny. He doesn’t say funny things. It’s the people’s reaction around him that’s funny.”

Alongside his role as the show’s unlikely comic relief, however, Worf developed into one of Star Trek’s most complicated protagonists. Roddenberry mandated that the show’s human characters had evolved beyond the sorts of interpersonal conflicts that typically drive television dramas, but Worf, an alien, was permitted to be contrarian, hot-tempered, and even malicious. Dorn recalls being taken aback after reading the script to the season 3 episode “The Enemy,” in which Worf refuses to offer a lifesaving blood transfusion to a gravely wounded Romulan soldier. The Romulan tells him that he’d rather die than “pollute his blood with Klingon filth,” and Worf obliges him, without remorse. Worf believes that saving the life of a Romulan would dishonor the memory of his parents, who were killed in a Romulan sneak attack when he was a child. This runs contrary to the ideals of Starfleet and puts him at odds with the entire crew, but it sets him apart as a character. He strictly adheres to a code of honor that does not totally overlap with that of his peers.

That is, if he can be said to have peers at all. From the beginning, Worf stands apart as the only Klingon in Starfleet, rescued by a human officer after his family is massacred. Raised on Earth by a pair of adoring, demonstrative Russian Jews, young Worf is encouraged to explore and embrace his Klingon heritage despite being isolated from his culture. His image of what it is to be Klingon is based mostly on their mythology, on tales of honorable battle and the noble wisdom of the Klingon Christ figure, Kahless. But it’s also a self-portrait, processing that which makes him different from his human family and classmates into a cultural identity. “Klingons do not laugh,” Worf tells Whoopi Goldberg’s worldly bartender Guinan in the episode “Yesterday’s Enterprise,” a claim that Guinan has the experience to debunk. Worf believes that Klingons don’t laugh because he himself doesn’t. In actuality, no one parties harder than a band of Klingons after a glorious battle; Worf has simply never been invited.

Worf and Picard stand on a Bird of Prey for a Klingon ceremony in Sins of the Father in Star Trek: The Next Generation

Worf’s reverence for other Klingons is challenged nearly every time he encounters another of his kind. Time and again, he sees Klingon warriors and political figures like the opportunistic Chancellor Gowron lie and cheat in the pursuit of power and glory. He is formally excommunicated from the Klingon Empire twice, and though both times he is eventually able to win back his citizenship, it takes a heavy toll on him. Yet, however many times “real” Klingon conduct clashes with his values, Worf never allows this to pollute his own sense of honor. He remains unfailingly truthful, loyal, and brave. And, over the years, other Klingons take notice of this and grow to admire and emulate him. His identity and self-image are based in fantasy, but his presence in the universe helps to make that fantasy seem more attainable to everyone else.

Worf’s journey runs parallel to the experience of growing up a Star Trek fan. The crew of the Enterprise (or Voyager, Discovery, etc.) represents a humanity that is more compassionate, curious, honorable, and self-sacrificing than anyone you’re likely to meet. This is a wonderful example for a young viewer to follow, but if you go out into the world expecting to find these idols, especially in positions of power and authority, you’re in for a very rude awakening. By and large, people are not like this. If they were, we’d be living in the Star Trek future right now. However, if in spite of all this, if you can hold fast to that vision of a kinder, wiser humanity and embody it as best as you can, you can make it that much more real for the people around you.

Dorn fully endorses this interpretation of the character, and also sees him as an example of someone who learns to grow beyond his initial need to define himself through the lens of “Klingon” or “Starfleet.”

Kurn (Tony Todd) talking to his brother Worf (Michael Dorn) in profile in the Enterprise bar

“He’s always thought that humans were this way and Klingons were that way,” says Dorn, “until he realized that Klingons and humans and everybody were very flawed individuals. And in order to grow, he’s taken the best out of each culture and made it its own. He’s on his own path. He has an ego, so I think he thinks he’s better than a lot of people, but he’s also learning that you can’t judge those things. That once you start judging you’re in trouble. You have to accept them for what they are, not only accept them but admire them, and all the negative stuff you leave behind.”

After The Next Generation closed out its seven-season run and made the leap to the big screen, Worf’s path led him to Star Trek: Deep Space Nine , where producers hoped that his presence would boost fan interest in the beleaguered spinoff. His arrival turned out to be beneficial for both the show and the character, as DS9 ’s darker tone and more serialized format afforded Worf more growth and development in four seasons than TNG had offered in seven. The series also dove deeper into the lore and culture of the Klingon Empire, which Dorn says offered writers (particularly Ronald D. Moore, who would go on to run Battlestar Galactica , Outlander , and For All Mankind ) the opportunity to step away from the prim and proper world of Starfleet and do some swashbuckling.

Deep Space Nine ’s finale offered Worf’s story a worthy ending when he is appointed the new ambassador between the Klingons and the Federation. It’s arguably the perfect place for his character’s journey to end, but the franchise marched on, dragging Worf along with it into the underwhelming feature film Star Trek: Nemesis in 2002, which one again reduced him to a comic foil. Despite his efforts to get a “Captain Worf” spinoff off the ground in the subsequent decade, it appeared that Michael Dorn’s service to Star Trek had finally concluded.

Twenty years later, Dorn — along with the rest of the Next Gen ensemble — has once again been called upon to revitalize a Star Trek spinoff. The third season of Star Trek: Picard reintroduces us to Worf as a wise old master, so confident in his ability to defeat his foes in combat that he rarely needs to unsheathe this weapon. Dorn has imagined the past 20 years of his character’s life in detail, taking inspiration from a source not entirely disconnected from Star Trek: the films of Quentin Tarantino. Appropriately, Dorn has patterned this version of Worf after a character from a film that opens with an old Klingon proverb: Kill Bill .

An older Worf (Michael Dorn) standing and talking to Picard (Patrick Stewart)

“One of the characters was Pai Mei, this martial arts killer,” says Dorn. “He’s gone so far in the martial arts, the next step is — he can defend himself and kill with a sword, but he can also do it with his bare hands. And with that comes calm, and the ability to know that sometimes you don’t have to kill. That’s how he’s grown in the past 20 years. Now he can dodge ray guns.”

Though his castmates won’t rule out further adventures for their characters, Dorn says that Picard season 3 absolutely works as a satisfying conclusion to Worf’s 35-year voyage.

“The storytellers know his journey, and everyone can see what his journey is; there’s no ambiguity about that.”

One way or another, the actor looks back at his untouchable tenure as Starfleet’s greatest warrior with warmth and appreciation.

“It’s one of those things that validates the idea that you chose the right profession,” Dorn says. “My mother would be proud of me that I had a profession that I’ve been at for the majority of my life. That’s an accomplishment, I think.”

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Michael Dorn

Michael Dorn

  • Born December 9 , 1952 · Luling, Texas, USA
  • Birth name Michiel Dorn
  • Height 6′ 2¾″ (1.90 m)
  • Michael Dorn is an American actor from Texas. He is best known for playing Worf in the "Star Trek" franchise, the first Klingon character to be part of a television series' main cast. Dorn played the character regularly from 1987 to 2002, appearing in four films and 272 television episodes. Dorn has had more episode appearances than any other actor in the franchise's main cast. In 1952, Dorn was born in Luling, Texas. Luling was a small city, established as a railroad town in 1874. It used to be visited by cattle drivers on the Chisholm Trail. In the 1950 census, the city had a population of about 4,300 people. Dorn's parents were Fentress Dorn, Jr. and his wife Allie Lee Nauls. Relatively little is known about his family background. The Dorn family eventually moved to California. Dorn was primarily raised in Pasadena, a city located 11 miles (17.7 kilometers) northeast of Downtown Los Angeles. He eventually attended Pasadena City College, a community college located in Pasadena. He studied radio and television production, though he had not planned on becoming an actor. Following his graduation, Dorn initially pursued a career as a rock musician. He served as a member of several California-based music bands, though fame eluded him. In 1976, Dorn made his film debut in the sports film "Rocky". He had an uncredited role as the bodyguard of boxer Apollo Creed (played by Carl Weathers). Dorn had his next film role in the science fiction-horror film "Demon Seed" (1977), which depicted the forced impregnation of a woman by a sentient computer. He had a small television role in the short-lived soap opera "W.E.B. " (1978), which depicted the behind-the-scenes activities of the personnel of a television network. Dorn came to the attention of a television producer, who learned that the novice actor had no formal training. The producer helped introduce Dorn to a talent agent, who arranged for some acting lessons for Dorn. Dorn was trained for six months by the acting coach Charles Erich Conrad (1925 - 2009). Dorn received his first regular television role when cast as officer Jebediah Turner in the crime drama series "CHiPs". The series depicted the activities of the California Highway Patrol (CHP). He was a series regular from 1979 to 1982. For most of the 1980s, Dorn played bit parts and one-shot characters in various television series. In 1985, Dorn had a small part in the neo-noir thriller "Jagged Edge". The film depicts an affair between defense lawyer Teddy Barnes (played by Glenn Close) and a client who is accused of murdering his wife. Barnes is increasingly convinced that her lover is manipulating her. The film was a modest box office hit, and received decent reviews. Dorn received his big break as an actor when cast as Worf in the science fiction television series "Star Trek: The Next Generation" (1987-1994). It was the third television series in the "Star Trek" franchise and featured an entirely new cast of characters. Klingons had traditionally been portrayed as a warrior race with an antagonistic relationship with the United Federation of Planets. Worf was depicted as an orphaned Klingon who was raised by human adoptive parents. He had chosen to follow a career in the Federation's Starfeet, and his upbringing resulted in him having unique cultural traits. Worf turned out to be one of the series' most popular characters. In 1991, Dorn appeared in the film "Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country" which depicted the cast of the original Star Trek series. Dorn played the role of a namesake ancestor of Worf, who was employed as a defense lawyer. He next played Worf himself in the film "Star Trek Generations" (1994), which featured the cast of the third series. The film was successful and was followed by three sequels. Dorn played Worf in three subsequent films: "Star Trek: First Contact" (1996), "Star Trek: Insurrection" (1998), and "Star Trek: Nemesis" (2002). In 1995, Dorn (as Worf) was added to the main cast of the television series "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine" (1993-1999), the fourth "Star Trek" television series. The addition to the cast was part of an effort to boost the series' ratings. The series introduced a romantic relationship between Worf and chief science officer Jadzia Dax (played by Terry Farrell). The two characters were married in the series' 6th season, though the marriage ended with Jadzia's death in the season finale. The series was canceled in 1999, ending Dorn's regular appearances in "Star Trek" television series. During the 1990s, Dorn started regularly working as a voice actor in animated television series. Among his notable voice roles in this period were the cyborg gargoyle Coldstone in the urban fantasy series "Gargoyles" (1994-1997), Gorgon the Inhuman in the superhero series "Fantastic Four" (1994-1996), and both the villainous god Kalibak and the superhero Steel/John Henry Irons in the superhero series "Superman: The Animated Series (1996-2000). He also received the eponymous role of I.M. Weasel in the comedy series "I Am Weasel" (1997-2000). The series focused on a rivalry between the successful and popular character Weaser and his envious frenemy I.R. Baboon (played by Charlie Adler), who constantly tries to upstage him. In the 2000s, Dorm continued working regularly as a voice actor, though he often played one-shot characters. Among his prominent roles in superhero series of this period were the super-villain Kraven the Hunter/Sergei Kravinoff in "Spider-Man: The New Animated Series" (2003) and villainous ghost Fright Knight in "Danny Phantom" (2004-2007). and the super-villain Bane in "Batman: The Brave and the Bold" (2008-2011). In a 2010 interview, Dorn mentioned that he had been diagnosed with early-stage prostate cancer. While receiving treatment, he decided to switch to a vegan diet. In 2011, Dorn was cast as the villainous god Lord Darkar in Nickelodeon's dub of the popular Italian animation series "Winx Club". Darkar was a major villain in the series 2nd season but was eventually killed. Whether his death was permanent is questionable because he had the form of a phoenix. From 2011 to 2015, Dorn had the regular role of Dr. Carver Burke in the police procedural series "Castle (2009-2016). Burke is depicted as the psychiatrist treating female lead Kate Beckett (played by Stana Katic) for post-traumatic stress disorder. She eventually confides in him about other psychological problems which she is facing. In 2011, Dorn had another prominent role in a superhero series when he voiced Ronan, the Accuser, in the final season of "The Super Hero Squad Show" (2009-2011). Ronan is a prominent Marvel character, typically serving as an officer of the Kree Empire, a militaristic space empire. His role as a hero or a villain depends on the Empire's plan in any given story-line. From 2015 to 2016, Dorn played the alien Captain Mozar in the superhero series "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles " (2012-2017). Mozar is a humanoid Triceratops leading an alien invasion fleet to Earth. The character was a regular antagonist of the Turtles, portrayed as a brutal military commander. From 2016 to 2017, Dorn voiced the super-villain Prometheus/Adrian Chase in the live-action series "Arrow" (2012-2020). The series portrayed the adventures of the superhero Green Arrow/Oliver Queen, and Prometheus holds Queen responsible for his father's death and seeks revenge. In 2017, Dorn voiced Fortress Maximus, an Autobot Titan, in the animated web series "Transformers: Titans Return". The series featured characters from the "Generation 1" version of the "Transformers" franchise. Fortress Maximus was introduced in the 1980s. Dorn replaced the three previous voice actors of the character, Stephen Keener, Kunihiko Yasui, and Ikuya Sawaki. From 2017 to 2018, Dorn voiced Atrocitus in the superhero series "Justice League Action" (2016-2018). Atrocitus is a prominent DC super-villain, typically depicted as the leader of the Red Lantern Corps. In the original comics, Atrocitus is a character mainly motivated by revenge. His wife and daughters were murdered before his eyes, and since then, Atrocitus has sought revenge against those responsible for the tragedy. From 2017 to 2019, Dorn voiced the recurring character Bupu, the sable antelope, in the coming-of-age series "The Lion Guard" (2016-2019). The series was a spin-off of the film "The Lion King" (1994) and featured the adventures of Simba's son Kion. Bupu is depicted as the leader of a herd of antelopes and too proud and stubborn to follow orders from others. By 2021, Dorn is 68-years-old and continues to add new roles to his resume. - IMDb Mini Biography By: Dimos I and Zee
  • Born in Luling, Texas and raised in Pasadena, California. At college he majored in producing and directing and in his free time sang and played bass guitar in several bands, A friend suggested he seek work as an extra and stand in resulting in him getting work in several films and television shows such as The Mary Tyler Moore Show. Next came non speaking rolls such as Apollo Creeds Body Guard in Rocky and a physicist in Demon Seed. His first tv guest starring appearance was on W E B in 1978 based on the film 'Network' which led him to an agent and acting classes, About a year later he had the role of officer Jed Turner in CHIPs which lasted from 1980 to 1982 with guest appearances in Falcon Crest, Knots Landing and Hotel , soaps such as Capitol and Days of Our Lives and films such as Jagged Edge as a lie detector expert, Then came Star Trek the Next Generation tv series in which he played Worf from the start, He won Best Actor Image Awards from NAACP for the episode 'The Emissary, - IMDb Mini Biography By: Tonyman 5
  • Parents Allie Lee Nauls Fentress Dorn Jr.
  • Deep resonant authoritative voice
  • Lieutenant Commander Worf on Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987) and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (1993)
  • Made a grand total of 282 "Star Trek" appearances. He appeared in 175 of the 178 episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987) , 102 of the 176 episodes of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (1993) Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country (1991) , Star Trek: Generations (1994) , Star Trek: First Contact (1996) , Star Trek: Insurrection (1998) and Star Trek: Nemesis (2002) . He also directed the following episodes: In the Cards (1997) , Inquisition (1998) , When It Rains... (1999) and Two Days and Two Nights (2002) . The 277 episodes of Star Trek he appeared in means he has appeared in more episodes of Sci-Fi Television than any other actor.
  • Has appeared on-screen in more Star Trek episodes and movies as the same character, than anyone. ( Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987) , Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (1993) Seasons 4-7, Star Trek: Generations (1994) , Star Trek: First Contact (1996) , Star Trek: Insurrection (1998) and Star Trek: Nemesis (2002) ).
  • Owns and operates an old Air Force T-33 "Shooting Star" trainer jet, one of the first jet aircraft in the United States inventory; this is often referred to as his "starship".
  • He was considered for the role of the Master in the television movie Doctor Who: The Movie (1996) , which went to Eric Roberts .
  • Is an accomplished pilot and the owner of several aircraft. He has flown with the Blue Angels and the United States Air Force Precision Flight team.
  • But now they have the series down to a real science where it's about an hour.
  • When you're on a series, it's tough to go on and do something else afterward. If you're smart, save your money and you can wait out the bad times, until something else comes along.
  • I'd love to star in a television series of my own. I love the idea of living with a character for a number of years, watching him grow. I have not been recognized.
  • When fans asked me for advice, here's what I tell them: "If you're a director, always wear comfortable shoes to work.".
  • I like plays, movies, everything. It doesn't matter. I love good comedy. I don't like bad comedy.

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Published Dec 8, 2016

7 Things to Know About Michael Dorn

michael dorn star trek enterprise

Michael Dorn was born on December 9, 1952, meaning he turns 64 years young today. To mark the occasion, StarTrek.com thought we'd raise a toast with a glass of Klingon bloodwine and share 7 Things to Know About Michael Dorn . And, in no particular order, here they are:

michael dorn star trek enterprise

  • Dorn was born Michiel Dorn in Luling, Texas.
  • His pre- Star Trek credits included Rocky, Demon Seed, CHiPs (with Robert Pine, Chris Pine's father) and Gimme a Break! FYI... he played one of Apollo Creed's bodyguards in Rocky , but went uncredited.
  • He is a pilot. Yes, Dorn flies airplanes and, over the years, has owned several of them, including a F-86 Sabre.

michael dorn star trek enterprise

  • Dorn played Worf... a lot, a whole lot. He portrayed the Klingon for all seven seasons of The Next Generation , for four seasons of Deep Space Nine and in the four TNG features. He voiced Worf in more than a half-dozen video games, and appeared as the character or voiced him in other venues, including an episode of the series Webster, Comic Relief VI, Family Guy and Ted 2 . And let's not forget Star Trek VI: The Undisovered Country , in which he played a character believed to be Worf's grandfather, Colonel Worf. The biggest shock, however, was when he agreed to reprise the role for DS9 . "I was surprised, very surprised," Dorn told StarTrek.com in an interview. "Let me put it this way… Maybe surprised is not the right word for it. I was so OK with it after I’d said I’d never get in the makeup again. I make a joke about saying, 'Oh God, I’d never do it and then they told me how much money I was going to make and I said, "Oh, OK. No problem."' But, really, the money never really entered into it. Rick (Berman) just called and said, 'Would you consider coming back?' I just said, 'Yeah, sure.' And I don’t know why. Maybe it’s just because I’d already set myself up that we were just going to do the ( TNG ) movies and there wouldn’t be any more makeup days. I already had my mind set that it was gone. When Rick called… I guess I was surprised that I said 'Yes'” But it wasn’t like, 'Oh my God, what am I doing?' It was more like, 'Yeah, that sounds great. Let’s talk about it.'”

michael dorn star trek enterprise

  • Dorn is a vegan. In a video interview with ThePlantBasedDiet.com , he explained that he was "almost a vegetarian" when he was diagnosed with "an early, early stage of prostate cancer." The doctor who diagnosed him told Dorn that he'd never seen a vegetarian with prostate cancer. Doing his research about being a vegetarian, Dorn discovered that vegans also avoid processed foods, especially processed sugar -- and that sugar feeds cancer cells. "Cut out sugar, and cancer cells don't have the food to grow." And he's been a vegan ever since.

michael dorn star trek enterprise

  • The TNG cast is notoriously close-knit and still gets together as often as possible, above and beyond convention appearances. The most recent example occurred just last month, when Home & Family on the Hallmark Channel welcomed Dorn, Marina Sirtis, LeVar Burton, Denise Crosby and Jonathan Frakes.
  • It's "surreal," Dorn told StarTrek.com, that Star Trek is celebrating its 50th anniversary and that TNG will celebrate its 30th anniversary next year. "Man, anything after 20 years is frightening. The really frightening thing for me is that all the kids who were born during Next Generation or Deep Space are in college or even out of college or are starting families. That, to me, is just ridiculous."

Please join us in wishing Michael Dorn a very happy birthday.

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How Michael Dorn Helped To Create Star Trek's Klingon Culture

Michael Dorn as Worf from Star Trek

"Star Trek" has introduced an endless array of alien cultures over its decades-spanning history, but perhaps none are as immediately recognizable as the Klingons. Even to those uninitiated in the world of "Trek," the Klingons have become a symbol of the franchise itself, playing significant roles in all of the series since the original. Out of the long line of Klingon characters, it's the Enterprise's Chief Security Officer Worf, played and greatly characterized by Michael Dorn , who is arguably the most responsible for establishing the warrior race as one of the preeminent faces of Trekkie iconography.

The Klingons may have been a part of the "Star Trek" universe since its early days, but it took years to build their full culture, history, and lore. Introduced in the 26th episode of "Star Trek: The Original Series," titled "Errand of Mercy," the Klingon Empire started off as barbaric and violent, acting as antagonists to the peaceful Federation. It wasn't until "Star Trek: The Motion Picture" that the Klingons' iconic ridged foreheads and (now fully developed) language appeared, and even then the race's defining cultural traits were largely absent. Everything changed with " Star Trek: The Next Generation ," however, when Michael Dorn's portrayal of the heroic Worf added a new layer of complexity to the previously villainous aliens.

Qapla'! Worf Is born!

The Klingon Empire had entered into an alliance with the Federation at the time of "The Next Generation," and Starfleet got its first Klingon officer in the form of Worf. Despite this momentous shift in "Star Trek" politics, series creator Gene Rodenberry didn't have any specific ideas in mind for the character. That's where the man playing him came in. In an interview that Dorn had with TrekZone Network during the German sci-fi convention FedCon in 2010, he recounted:

"They didn't tell you how they wanted the character to be – nothing. You went in to audition for this character name and that was it. When I started, before I came onto the set, I went to Gene Roddenberry and said, 'Hey, what do you want from this guy? Who is he?' And being as smart as he is, he said, 'don't listen to what you've heard or read or seen in the past, nothing. Just make the character your own.' And that's what I did."

Dorn explained that he helped to bring "a little more of who they [the Klingons] are outside of these war-like creatures" that were first established in "The Original Series." Instead of a one-dimensional brutality, the Klingons embraced a complex warrior ethos, a transition which Dorn helped to usher in with his booming proclamations of the strict Klingon honor code. Throughout the run of "The Next Generation" and its follow-up series, " Star Trek: Deep Space Nine ," the bonds and tensions between the (mostly) pacifist Federation and the aggressive Klingon Empire made for fascinating explorations into the way two societies with seemingly opposing ideals could still operate together.

Working with Worf

The first Worf-centered episode, season one's "Heart of Glory," explains the Chief Security Officer's background and serves to introduce his inner conflicts as a Klingon serving in Starfleet. Dorn's own way of performing Worf's mannerisms reflect that awkward outsider identity, from his stern, deep voice to his manner of speaking in such a literal fashion that it was sometimes played for laughs. "The Next Generation" fans will point out that Worf was often used as a punching bag for various enemies in the early seasons, but Dorn helped to mold him into a more combative warrior by helping to create the unique system of Klingon martial arts.

Visual effects producer Dan Curry worked with Dorn to develop this fighting style and gave the Klingons Worf's favorite weapon, the iconic bat'leth double-edged sword. Dorn also credits writer (and future " Battlestar Galactica " remake creator) Ronald D. Moore, who penned much of the Shakespearean drama revolving around the feudal Klingon Empire's rival royal houses, with crafting the most memorable Klingon episodes in both "The Next Generation" and "Deep Space Nine." These other creative contributions aside, Dorn's personal input defined Worf's character from the very beginning and kickstarted the evolution of Klingon culture.

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Star Trek: Picard ‘s Michael Dorn Opens Up About Playing Worf Again and the Klingon Warrior’s Newfound Pacifism

Dave nemetz, west coast bureau chief.

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Worf is back on duty in the new season of Star Trek: Picard … although he might look a little different than you remember.

“Well, he has white hair now. That’s new,” Michael Dorn tells TVLine with a chuckle. Dorn returned as the fearsome Klingon warrior and Next Generation fan favorite in last week’s episode of Picard , marking his first appearance as Worf since the 2002 movie Star Trek: Nemesis . The actor admits he initially balked at the producers’ idea to give Worf a little seasoning up top: “My little ego went, ‘I don’t want to have gray hair! I still want to be young!'” But then Dorn remembered that in Quentin Tarantino’s Kill Bill movies, “there was a character who was a martial arts guy who had white hair, and he could kill you in a second. So I went, ‘I can deal with that.'”

It is a little easier these days for Dorn to look like Worf, too, he says: “The Klingon makeup hasn’t evolved much, but the way they put it on has. They have two guys working on me at the same time, so it takes considerably less time. Before, it was three hours, two hours, and now it’s like an hour.”

Star Trek Picard Season 3 Worf

“I was talking to LeVar, and I said, ‘Oh, by the way, I’m going to go on the set when they’re shooting this, to hang out with Patrick, Jonathan, and Marina,’ and LeVar goes, ‘Hey, I want to come.’ I said, ‘Great!’ So we arranged it, and they were all very excited about us being there.” Things even got a little rowdy on set, Dorn reveals: “We were laughing and making fun of each other. It was a blast. I mean, they were shooting about a hundred yards away in this house, and they could hear us, like making noises. They were like, ‘Really? You guys!’ That’s what happens, you know?”

Dorn’s Picard debut came as a surprise, with Worf swooping in to slice up some underworld foes of Raffi’s, revealing himself to be her mystery Starfleet handler. It also surprised fans when Worf declared himself a pacifist in the Season 3 trailer, but Dorn says it’s part of a natural evolution for Worf: “He’s discovered a lot from The Next Generation to Deep Space [ Nine ]. There’s been a huge shift in who he is… He’s discovered that life isn’t about a goal or reaching a particular place. It’s about the journey.”

Worf now understands that “he doesn’t know everything, and he’s glad not to know everything. He wants to be on this particular journey, and part of his journey now is pacifism. There’s another outlet besides slicing people up.” But that doesn’t mean he won’t flash his fighting skills when it’s called for, Dorn allows: “The only issue with him is he really likes the combat… He is good at it, and he practices at it, too.” Hey, we wouldn’t have it any other way. ( Additional reporting by Jennifer Vineyard )

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“Pacifist”. You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means. Maybe he’s a “Pacifist” compared to a Klingon. But there sure are a lot of dead bodies on the floor because of him. I don’t usually associate extreme violence with “Pacifism”.

My thoughts exactly!

I really adore these guys and their characters. Just glorious relationships. I miss them.

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Star Trek: Picard: Dorn, Frakes & Burton on Enterprise-D Bridge Return

Posted in: Star Trek , streaming , TV | Tagged: Jonathan Frakes , LeVar Burton , Mica Burton , Michael Dorn , paramount , star trek , Star Trek Picard , Star Trek: The Next Generation

Michael Dorn, Jonathan Frakes & LeVar Burton discuss their nostalgic return to the U.S.S. Enterprise-D bridge during Star Trek: Picard.

Instead of reminiscing about their original run, the cast of Star Trek: The Next Generation no doubt is bombarded with a new question, "What is it like to return to the U.S.S. Enterprise-D on 'Picard?'" At the Paramount FYC (For Your Consideration) event, cast members Michael Dorn (Captain Worf), LeVar Burton (Commodore Geordi La Forge), Jonathan Frakes (Captain William Riker), and Mica Burton (Ensign Alandra La Forge) spoke out about coming back in a featurette called "Back on the Bridge: Returning to an Iconic Set."

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Star Trek: Picard Returning to the U.S.S. Enterprise-D Bridge

"I saw the episode when they revealed the bridge, and I got a little misty," Dorn told Paramount+. "To see it on the screen, and then to see us coming in there. It just brought back a lot of memories." During the interview, Frakes mugged the spotlight from his co-star in jest, "Have you finished? Can I?" "I've done my duty," Dorn responded. "It was kind of a thrill. And It was great to have all those people back. We had Michael Okuda, who designed it. Dave Blass, the production designer who hired a number of people from our past to help us reinvent the Enterprise-D brilliantly," Frakes said.

Star Trek: Picard: Dorn, Frakes & Burton on Enterprise-D Bridge Return

"It was like, stepping back in time, 25 years," LeVar recalled. For his daughter Mica, it was a novel experience. "And I got to see it, I never got to see it before." Season three saw the cast of TNG reunite when Admiral Jean-Luc Picard ( Patrick Stewart ) with the help of his former first officer Riker and his former chief medical officer Admiral Beverly Crusher ( Gates McFadden ) of the Enterprise. They book passage onboard the U.S.S. Titan-A as Jean-Luc has a history with its first officer Cmdr. Seven of Nine ( Jeri Ryan ), but keeping the nature of their mission a secret becomes a problem for the by-the-book Captain Liam Shaw ( Todd Stashwick ). Familiar faces start crossing as they unravel a conspiracy that goes far into the Federation. You can check out the video in the tweet below.

For the cast of #StarTrekPicard , walking onto the flawlessly replicated set of the Enterprise-D was like stepping back in time. What's your favorite detail on the bridge? #FYC pic.twitter.com/cWzxgiTjuT — Star Trek on Paramount+ (@StarTrekOnPPlus) June 22, 2023

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Michael Dorn

Birth Name: Michiel Dorn

Birth Place: Luling - Texas - United States

Profession actor/di

michael dorn star trek enterprise

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From the Starfighter to the Enterprise NCC-1701-D

Flying fast aircraft is like "meditation" for actor michael dorn..

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Flying fast aircraft is like "meditation" for actor Michael Dorn. [Credit: Jeff Berlin]

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From the late 1980s through the 1990s, Klingon Lt. Cmdr. Worf was one of the most visible characters on the popular TV shows Star Trek: The Next Generation and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine . Actor and pilot Michael Dorn, who was cast as Worf, made the character his own and ended up appearing in 276 episodes, the most of any other cast member in the Star Trek franchise’s history.

To Dorn, morphing into Worf each day was a lengthy process because of the amount of makeup and prosthetics required to bring the character to life. But when the cameras stopped rolling, it wasn’t the starship Enterprise that drew Dorn’s attention, it was a Cessna 172 Skyhawk. But there was a problem.

You see, Michael Dorn likes airplanes that go fast. Really fast. After moving through a few general aviation airplanes, he began buying and flying a long list of former U.S. military fighter jets. This desire to go fast also explains why he drives a Tesla Model X P100D today. “It has ‘Ludicrous’ mode,” Dorn says. “I live for on-ramps!”

In an interview with FLYING , Dorn discusses his love of fast airplanes and describes how he developed Worf into such a popular Star Trek character

FLYING Magazine (FM): You’ve owned a Cessna 172, 310, and 340A, and a Citation 501SP, plus a SOCATA Trinidad TB-20, and a Beechcraft Baron 55. What have you owned that satisfies your need for speed?

Michael Dorn (MD): I have been lucky to have owned a number of military jets, including the Casa Saeta HA200, Lockheed T-33, North American F-86C, and North American Sabreliner 40A. But the one jet I have always wanted is the Lockheed F-104 Starfighter. The 104 will be my final airplane, because it really goes fast.

FM: Since the military cannot sell their used airplanes directly to the public, how are civilians able to buy these decommissioned military jets?

MD: In the old days, the publications that list used airplanes had a section for fighter jets. You always saw quite a few T-33s, F-86s, MiG-21s, and L-39s. Now, the operations that do dissimilar aerial training with the military need fast airplanes for U.S. pilots to train against, so they fly great stuff. When they are done with these jets, civilians can pick them up to be flown as experimental exhibition airplanes.

FM: Tell me about the exhilaration that you feel flying your fighter jets.

MD: I’ve always wanted to be a fighter pilot since I was very young because I love aerobatics and speed. The jet airplanes I fly can do Mach 1 or Mach 2 and that kind of speed is exhilarating. If you are low to the ground or going through clouds, you get that sensation of speed. But if you’re just blasting through a bright blue sky, it does not feel fast until you look down at your air speed indicator and you see 0.96 Mach and realize that OK, now that’s fast!

FM: Do you use flying as an escape from your work as an actor?

MD: Yes, all the time. When I was working on the show, I was flying at the same time on the weekends because it was a total release. I equate it to meditation because you’re not thinking about anything else but keeping the airplane in the sky. And with a bubble canopy, you have a different perspective looking down on really beautiful country. I get a little ethereal and find myself asking what is the problem here, what are we fighting about?

FM: How was the character of Worf developed? Did you have any input on what we saw on screen?

MD: The cast had already been working together when they decided to add the character of Worf. I went in to read for the part and was in makeup within the hour. They gave me no guidance on what the character is or what they wanted him to be. I asked the show’s creator, Gene Roddenberry, what his vision for Worf was, and he told me to just make the character my own. To an actor, that’s like Christmas.

michael dorn star trek enterprise

FM: What influenced how you developed the character?

MD: The rest of the cast were all just really nice people on and off screen, laughing a lot, happy to be going into space together. It struck me to make Worf the opposite of that because he was a professional soldier, didn’t joke around, didn’t smile, and was kind of gruff and surly. Luckily, the writers took off on that and wrote some fantastic stuff with that in mind.

FM: What is the one attribute a young person needs if they want to break into acting as a career?

MD: They need to have thick skin and be resilient because it’s a tough business. When I started, there were only three television networks, that was it. Now there is so much out there with all the cable and streaming work that if someone knows their craft, the chances of working and making a living as an actor are pretty good. To rise to the top and become a star, you have to be very good at your craft. Even if you are not a star, you can still be a character actor and work all the time.

FM: A lot has been said about Worf’s makeup on the show. What was it like putting all that on and taking it off at the end of shooting each day?

MD: When we started, it was three hours to do the makeup and glue on the prosthetics. By the end of my run as Worf, it was down to one hour and 45 minutes. It was very challenging because they are literally putting glue on your face, and you have to wear it for as long as 15 hours. When I was made up as Worf, I couldn’t go and have lunch in the commissary, because when I would come back, they would have to reglue. That part of the role made my skin crawl.

FM: Once you were made up as Worf, did you stay in character on the set?

MD: No, I am not one of those actors who needs to be in character to do the job. They would say, “action,” and I’d do my lines as Worf; and when they said, “cut,” I would just say, “thanks,” and go about my business. People onset would see me as Worf and assumed I, too, was gruff and surly because I had the makeup for that. But that was not at all the case. I am nothing like Worf in that regard.

FM: Now that Capt. Kirk has gone to space, is that a ride you want to take?

MD: No, because it is dangerous, even if they’re not going into orbit. It’s one of those things where you’re not in control. They put you into a rocket and just shoot you up. For the money they want to go up, I’d much rather use that to buy an F-104.

michael dorn star trek enterprise

Name one person you’d like to fly with, living or dead.

If you could fly any airplane or helicopter, what would that be?

The Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird

What one airport would you most want to fly into someday?

The airport in Lukla, Nepal [VNLK]. Yikes!

What has been aviation’s biggest innovation?

There are two: the jet engine, and advancements in technology including GPS.

Would Worf have made a good fighter pilot?

He would’ve been an incredible fighter pilot because, like real fighter pilots, he did not have any fear.

When you’re not flying, what would you rather be doing?

Playing tennis. Wherever I lived, I made sure there was a court within 2 or 3 miles.

Dan Pimentel

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INTERVIEW: Michael Dorn on Worf’s return in STAR TREK: PICARD

It was an honorable interview.

RED ALERT! This interview contains spoilers for  Star Trek: Picard season 3 episode 3, “Seventeen Seconds,” available for streaming now on Paramount+.

We’ve known for a while that Picard season 3 would be bringing back the main cast from Star Trek: The Next Generation . With the release of the season’s third episode for streaming today on Paramount+, the long-awaited full return of  Michael Dorn as Worf has arrived!

The Beat caught up with Dorn over the phone to ask about Worf’s character arc in  Picard , how putting on the Worf makeup has evolved over the years since TNG , and whether he would consider reprising the role again (including in animation)!

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

AVERY KAPLAN: Did you have any particularly remarkable interactions with Star Trek fans over the years since TNG left the air?

MICHAEL DORN: Not necessarily with the fans, per se. But what kind of gets me is the level of excitement, or the level of fandom that’s still out there after all these years. You would kind of think that it would wane to where there’s ten people in a room, or something.

We did a function in New York, and there was 800 people in an auditorium – packed, sold out, just to see us on stage. So it still is quite viable after all these years, and that’s kind of a shock to me.

KAPLAN: What does being involved in Star Trek mean to you?

DORN: To me, you look back, and I’ve had a very nice career. I’m extremely fortunate, because as an actor, there’s not many actors that get an opportunity to be part of something that’s lasted this long. So I consider myself extremely fortunate.

michael dorn star trek enterprise

KAPLAN: How has the process of putting on and acting in the Worf makeup changed over the years?

DORN: It started out to be a long process – three hours. They got it down to two hours over the years, two and some change.

But, I gotta say, the Picard makeup people got it down even further – to about an hour. Which helps a lot. You’re not in it for those extra couple of hours… although the process itself, the makeup and the glue and the hair and everything like that, is always a pain for me. But they made it a lot easier.

The amazing thing is, you see his ears [on Picard ]. Because you never saw his ears before! And I said, “You want to see his ears?!” Yes! Okay, great.

KAPLAN: How do you feel about Worf’s new character arc?  

DORN: I think they did a fantastic job. I’m one of the fortunate actors, where I never really had to go up there and kick and scream and yell about writing more stuff, or writing more interesting stuff. And maybe its just because the character lends itself to that, I’ve always been fortunate where they’ve always written incredible stuff.

I give them parameters. I like to say, “Okay, about his humor,” or, “About his lack of humor,” and that kind of thing. Otherwise, I’ve been incredibly fortunate. I think his arc in the series is an amazing arc.

In fact, one of the reasons that I took the job was that they sent me the first three scripts. And I was able to look, and go, “I like what they’re doing, and I think it’s interesting, and I want to do this.”

KAPLAN: Was there a specific type of movement or choreography for the scene in episode 3 in which Raffi finds Worf meditating?  

DORN: Yes it is. It is Klingon martial arts. Dan Curry , who developed all the fighting weapons for Worf over the years, he was very instrumental in teaching me these moves.

And I’ve kept them over the years. All the stuff you see is an amalgamation of our developing that part of his character, our collaboration over the years. That’s what we see.

KAPLAN: Do you also enjoy chamomile tea?

DORN: I actually do, yeah. I like it a lot. I’ve been a vegan and a health nut and a gym rat and a tennis nut, so I’m very into health. A lot of times, when you’re sick: chamomile tea.

Although, I wanted to say one of the lines in a Worf way, and they said, “No, no, don’t do that.” When I say, “Do you take sugar?” I wanted to say, [angry Worf voice] “DO YOU TAKE SUGAR?” [normal voice] Like I hate sugar.

KAPLAN: Do you have any Worf merchandise or souvenirs that you’ve kept over the years?

DORN: Over the years – this is kind of a technical thing. When you sign a contract, and you sign for merchandise, you have a clause in there that they have to send you one of everything that they make. And so I had a ten by ten storage unit full of just Star Trek stuff. And it was going to waste. I even had a Next Generation pinball machine, still in the box, brand-new.

I said, “It’s just going to be in there.” So I sold it all. I gave it to this company, and they sold it all to people who would really appreciate it.

michael dorn star trek enterprise

KAPLAN: What was it like working so closely with Michelle Hurd during this episode?

DORN: It was great. Michelle is a wonderful actress. I welcomed the chance to work with her. And once we started working together, we developed an affection for us as actors, and as people, as friends. She is just an amazing person. And a lot of stuff about our acting lives and our personal lives coincide.  

I think it translated. Just like Next Generation , when we started to gel, the personal affection we had for each other showed on the screen, in terms of acting together and respecting each other. And I think that’s the same thing that happened with Michelle and I.

KAPLAN: At least up until this point in Picard season 3, we haven’t seen the whole TNG crew reunited. However, you were all together for the Picard season 3 premiere. What was it like to get everyone back together again?

DORN: To me, it was bizarre! Not because us being together, at Mann’s Chinese Theater. But twenty-five years later, you’re back at the same place… it’s pretty bizarre. Especially, this business is the one business where you go on television and see yourself age!

Its always bizarre to look at yourself age right in front of your eyes. And if you’re at the Chinese Theater with your friends, you were there back in ’95, ’96. You’re talking about a lot of years that have gone by. But it’s still nice to be on the Blue Carpet, and people still interested.

Although it’s a little disconcerting that the people who are interviewing you are like, twenty. They weren’t alive when you started the show. That’s disconcerting.

KAPLAN: Do you have a favorite piece of Worf fan art that you’ve seen (or been presented with) over the years?

DORN: I just got the latest one, that I cherish. I did The View with Whoopi Goldberg and Sunny Hostin . They presented me with an award for being on the most hours of Star Trek . It’s a very funny award, and I love it.

#WhoopiGoldberg honors her former #StarTrekTNG co-star Michael Dorn ( @akaWorf ) for his nearly 300 appearances on @StarTrek , the most of any actor in the franchise's history. https://t.co/cVclFZQmjA pic.twitter.com/DXadCCnLz3 — The View (@TheView) February 16, 2023

And now, that’s the only thing that I have in my house that’s figured prominently in my little den.

KAPLAN: Did you realize that you held that honor before you were presented with the award?

DORN: I did, but not all along – somebody said something to me five or six years ago, and I said, “You’re joking.” I didn’t even think about it, you know? Did not even think about it. And then I said, “Wow!”

And along with being able to have a pretty nice career, to hold that distinction is pretty special. And now I’ve added several more episodes to that total.

KAPLAN: Would you be willing to reprise the role again?  

DORN: It would all depend on how interesting it is. The one thing that I never wanted Worf to do was just to be standing around and scowling at people. If it’s interesting, and it’s going to be fun, then yeah, of course. Of course.

I love the character. It’s a really great character to act, and I was very fortunate that I was Worf.

KAPLAN: Would you be open to playing the character in animation?

DORN: If it’s interesting animation. And that’s the one thing about having done the show, to have a career like this… you can pick and choose the things you want to do.

Now, they own the character. So they can do whatever they want with it. But if its interesting, yeah, I’d love to be a part of it.

KAPLAN: Having been in Star Trek VI , I’m curious: what’s it like to be involved in the final cinematic outing for two generations of Star Trek ?

DORN: I think the word “finale” is used far too often. I’ve said goodbye to Star Trek maybe four times over the years, and it always comes back.

So I don’t look at it as a finale. I look at it as another step in the journey.

New episodes of  Picard  season 3 are released for streaming on Paramount+ on Thursdays .

Read all of The Beat’s  Star Trek coverage by clicking here !

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I was never a big Worf guy back in the TNG & DS9 days, but he’s been amazing so far in Picard. Would love to see a Captain Worf show starring Dorn.

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Star Trek The Next Generation Montreal Comiccon 2024 brent spiner gates mcfadden michael dorn

Star Trek actors Michael Dorn, Brent Spiner and Gates McFadden added to Montreal Comiccon lineup

The three Next Generation cast members will be at Palais de Congrès to meet fans from July 5 to 7.

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Montreal Comiccon has announced that three Star Trek cast members have been added to the lineup for the festival’s 2024 edition, namely Michael Dorn, Brent Spiner and Gates McFadden. As Worf, Data and Dr. Beverly Crusher, respectively, the actors appeared together in the 1980s/’90s series Star Trek: The Next Generation , the 1996 film Star Trek: First Contact and the third season of the recent Picard series.

As previously announced , the Montreal Comiccon 2024 lineup also includes Vincent D’Onofrio, Giancarlo Esposito, the Trailer Park Boys (in character) and Robert Englund with fellow cast members from A Nightmare on Elm Street .

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Montreal Comiccon (@mtlcomiccon)

For more on Montreal Comiccon, taking place at Palais des Congrès (1001 Place Jean-Paul Riopelle) from July 5 to 7, please visit their  website .

For more Montreal arts coverage, please visit the  Arts & Life  section.

TrekMovie.com

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Interview: Michael Dorn And Marina Sirtis On Wanting Laughs For Troi And To Explore Worf Being A Bad Dad

michael dorn star trek enterprise

| February 22, 2024 | By: Anthony Pascale 38 comments so far

Among those honored this year at the Saturn Awards were Michael Dorn and Marina Sirtis, who picked up lifetime achievement awards as part of the cast of Star Trek: The Next Generation . TrekMovie had a chance to talk to them about their returns in Star Trek: Picard , what they think could be next for their characters, and how their journeys fit with Gene Roddenberry’s original vision.

Jonathan Frakes said he felt he did his best work in season 3 of Star Trek: Picard . Do you feel you did your best work?

Marina Sirtis: I think Jonathan said that because he got to do stuff that he’d never done before. It was outside the box for him. I don’t that it was my best work. I don’t think I was in it enough for it to be my best work. But it was fun. It was definitely fun.

Terry [Matalas] designed the season to be what he called a “proper send-off” but others, including Patrick [Stewart], seem invigorated by it with a desire to do more. Is that also the case with you guys?

Michael Dorn: I don’t think that people have a clue what’s going to happen. I really don’t. I think that they look at something and they may have thought of a thought of it as a send-off for us and then something happens and they go, “You know what, maybe we should continue.” But, you [Marina] don’t believe so…

Marina Sirtis: I don’t believe it’s going to continue.

Michael Dorn: I don’t know either. I have no idea. I wouldn’t say oh, we are going to do it or we’re not going to do it. I just don’t know.

Marina Sirtis: I think if we were going to continue, they would have ridden on the success of Picard . Do you know what I mean? And then come on the back of that, and they didn’t. So I’m not sure that it’s going to continue.

michael dorn star trek enterprise

Ed Speleers as Jack Crusher and Marina Sirtis as Deanna Troi in “Vox” (Paramount+)

Michael, Terry recently talked to you about the possibilities of continuing, like exploring the Klingon Empire in the 25 th century and Worf’s relationship with Alexander. So have you put thought into what you’d you would like to see for Worf, if it did continue?

Michael Dorn: Yeah, I think that I think that Alexander—his son—is a good story, because Worf has been a terrible father. I think it brings a sort of realism to it. But once again, his ideas are great. And I think it’s a good idea. But you got to go to the higher-ups and see what they say.

Marina, you said you didn’t get to do a lot, because they mostly brought you in for the second half of season 3. So are there certain kinds of things you would like to do to stretch into with Troi?

Marina Sirtis: Well, being that I am very dramatic, generally, I’d love to do more comedy, actually. Because, in real life, I’m funny, right? Ask my friends. And I never get to be funny. So I would like to do—like in First Contact I got to be funny. But, I’m not complaining. I’m an actress.

Dorn got all the good comedy lines, and Frakes too, in season 3…

Marina Sirtis: He always got the good lines.

Michael Dorn: Hey, he’s a straight man. That’s his thing. He says something and ever everybody reacts and they think he’s funny, but he’s looking around going, “Why is everyone laughing at me?”

Michelle Hurd, who would be part of Legacy , said she feels it is “ necessary ” for Worf and Raffi to be paired up again…

Marina Sirtis: I agree, yeah.

Michael Dorn: I think it was one of the pairings that they thought, “Oh, this is a decent idea.” But they didn’t count on the chemistry and they didn’t count on the sort of stuff that we’re doing back and forth with each other.

Marina Sirtis: That relationship really worked.

Michael Dorn: Yeah, there was talk, there’s always talk, but I would say they’re missing the opportunity if they don’t pair us up.

Marina Sirtis: I think there’s a series there, actually… If they were really smart, that would be the way to go.

michael dorn star trek enterprise

Michelle Hurd as Raffi Musiker and Michael Dorn as Worf in “The Bounty” (Paramount+)

Michael, what do you think Gene Roddenberry would think about how your character evolved through TNG, DS9, the movies, and into Picard ?

Michael Dorn: The interesting thing is, Gene hired us. He was the guy for the first two years of the show and was very clear that he wanted me to make the character my own. And the great thing about writers and good writers and good directors is that once you give them something—like I gave them Worf’s stoicism and his anger and his nationalism and his egotistical nature—and they ran with it. And the writers are the ones that really created it and made him who he was. So I think he’d be happy about it, because it definitely is his creation, and he was an incredibly smart guy. He was incredibly smart about television. And he was smart enough to give me the freedom to say, “Just do it yourself,” because he knew that if an actor created something, it’s more personal to the actor, and he’s more invested.

How do you think he would feel about some of the darker elements of DS9 and Picard ?

Michael Dorn: Gene’s vision is The Next Generation . That’s the vision. It was always hope. It was always on a ship going out in the out into space. And so I think [what came after] probably isn’t his vision, but the thing is that we had to have somebody take over. And I think their vision fits into Star Trek. And I always believe there’s room for all kinds of Star Trek.

And Marina, same question about how you think Gene would feel about Troi’s journey?

Well, Gene always thought that mental health would be as important as physical health by the 24th century. And as is the case in very, very, very many cases, he was ahead of his time, because mental health is important already in the 21st century, where we’re already dealing with that, or trying to deal with that. He was a visionary. And people pooh-poohed him and didn’t take him seriously, but he knew what he was doing.

More from the Saturn Awards

Check out our other Saturn Awards interviews:

  • Doug Jones on Discovery
  • Tawny Newsome on Lower Decks and Starfleet Academy
  • Terry Matalas on Picard season 3 and hopes for Legacy
  • Jeri Ryan on Seven’s arc from Voyager to Legacy
  • Michelle Hurd and Todd Stashwick on  Picard  memes and  Legacy  dreams
  • Brent Spiner on Data’s evolution
  • Paul Wesley on Strange New Worlds season 3 and beyond
  • Wil Wheaton on playing Wesley in Lower Decks , and Ready Room update
  • Nicolas Cage’s desire to be in Star Trek
  • Danai Gurira’s almost casting for Star Trek 4
  • Zach Galligan on appearing in  Voyager and auditioning for Trip in Enterprise

You can hear audio from these interviews and more in the latest All Access Star Trek podcast .

Keep up with news about the Star Trek Universe at TrekMovie.com .

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What a lovely article. It’s really refreshing to read something that’s longer than a sound bite. I appreciate the detailed comments from the actors.

…was just about to say the same. This was a treat to read.

Dorn has been looking gaunt. It seems like today would be a good day to dine. (How many steakhòuses could he have opened with that line?)

Dorn doesn’t need people commenting on his physical appearance.

Pretty sure that was a stab at dry humor. Might have worked better on Wednesdays…..

He’s slimmed out some. He’s in his 70’s. It happens, not that its any of our business.

Dorn was truly amazing in Picard. One of the best things about the season.

Absolutely loved the work he did that season. Talk about character development, it was fantastic. I’d watch him in the role again in a second.

So would I!

Totally agree Tiger 2. His parting scenes with Rafi had me in tears when it was revealed what he had done for her.

Totally agree. While Data was my favorite of the season, I absolutely loved Worf as well. (Also, Riker, Seven, Shaw, and Sydney).

Great interview! Dorn is right. Worf was a GREAT straight man. What a character he created, and it’s really nice that he credited the writers and directors as well in the Worf character’s creation.

Marina Sirtis is delightful as always.

TNG, like TOS, just had such a great cast. It took Michael Pillar to be onboard for the writing part to take off (although TNG season 2 was certainly much much better than season 1), but the pieces were all in place as far as characters and the ship.

Oh, and seeing as Terry Matsalas is nominated for a writing award, why in the world has his ST: Legacy idea not be greenlighted?

I just think the Academy thing is being pushed through because its a Kurtzmann or a higher up idea. Someone higher up the food chain in the ST department is pushing it.

IMO, it’s very foolish for them not to go with Mr. Matsalas’ show.

Agreed. Most fans don’t even sound like they want the Starfleet show but many want Legacy.

Terry Matalas is the best thing to come for Star Trek since Manny Coto.

I think there may be Kurtzman’s ego at work here. He probably doesn’t want Matalas to overshadow him and his control of the franchise. I mean in terms of the success and accolades Picard season 3 is getting even vulcan logic would dictate there needs be some kind of a continuation, but then when feelings and egos are involved logic rarely takes the front seat.

I agree. It’s an ego thing for Kurtzman and Goldsman, they don’t like the attention that Matalas is getting. There is that one interview with Kurtzman when he something along the lines of the third season could not have happened without the set-ups in the first two seasons, basically saying that his and Goldsman’s work was just as important as Matalas’.

Berman did the same thing, taking more credit and trying to tamp down the criticism he got for the stupid decisions he made with TNG and how he pretty much messed up with 3 out of 4 of the TNG films. And then there’s the criticism with Enterprise. Over and over it showed that 1. Berman had no real appreciation or sense of the importance or what was so great about TOS and 2. He didn’t have a good sense of story and 3. He was lousy at being a movie producer. So many of the reasons why GEN, INS, and NEM didn’t work are attributable to Berman and Paramount.

Oh, yeah, and Berman and Braga also get credit for VOY not fully reaching its potential. It was, ultimately, TNG v2. I enjoyed it, mostly, but it could have and should have been much better and had more of its own identity.

Say what you want about Discovery being woke and the like, but I have really dug its serialized story telling and action. I don’t love this cast as much as TOS, TNG, and DS9’s, but the rest of it is just great.

Berman needed to understand that he was never gonna be a movie producers and let someone else produce the TNG movies. But at the same time he did get guys like Brannon Braga, Ron Moore, Naren Shankar, Ira Steven Behr into the business so that’s gotta count for something. Berman himself admitted that he was never a fan of TOS so I can see why we would get a movie like Generations under his tenure.

Actually ‘Insurrection’ and ‘Nemesis’ may have gone awry because of Stewart and later Spiner having a bit too much say in how those films were developed.

As well a bad choice for director of Nem.

That’s what I’m thinking too. I mean, they ran with Strange New Worlds after introducing Pike and Spock in Discovery Season 2. People loved the characters so Strange New Worlds was a logical result. So what the heck is going on with Legacy? Why are they sticking with the Academy idea when Season 3 of Picard got such huge accolades?

The only explanation that I can see is its what you said, ego, money, studio politics and that’s vry lame. It doesn’t seem like it’s good for business and its not good for the fans either.

Legacy just seems like a slam-dunk idea whereas Academy, has what, Tilly in it? I’ve read enough message boards to know 1. A lot of fans really really don’t like Discovery and 2. I don’t think Tilly, as a character is a big draw, like, I dunno, Daryl Dixon of the Walking Dead Franchise or, even better, Jean-Luc Picard in Picard.

Really simple. Give the fans what they want.

Just put it to a vote. Do that. See what the results are.

Critically and commercially, Picard season 3 was a hit. Let’s be honest, SNW season 1 was a success, but beyond that…..

Starfleet Academy and S31 are going to bomb I think.

I don’t understand the logic in Paramount’s thinking for SFA at all. Young people don’t watch Star Trek and probably don’t know P+ even exists. I work with teens and young adults and I haven’t found any trekkies among them, yet….I came close once….he watched Orville.

I’m in for the S31 film all because Michelle Yeoh’s Empress Georgiou was my favorite character on Discovery (well, next to Pike and Spock). She was great fun. The S31 film is certainly not going to be a conventional ST film, since all the prior ones were about the crew of the Enterprise (original, A, D, E, and Kelvin Timeline). But I’ll watch it.

This academy thing, though, I have no interest in it at all. I doubt I’ll watch it. Tilly is no draw to me and I’m not interested in a show set at school. I don’t feel obligated to watch every ST show. I pretty much gave up on Enterprise, since it just looked to me like ST v3 when I expected or wanted something more unique or at least, harkening back more to TOS (it didn’t help that the NX-01 was pretty much shoved into existing continuity). Lower Decks just seems to totally rely on cameos and poking fun at continuity. I’m just not interested. I saw the first few episodes of prodigy and that was pretty good. I’ll watch it if I don’t have to stream it.

Ent improved massively under Cotto by s3, 4.

This was indeed a great interview. Michael Dorn is such a gentleman and classy guy. I had the pleasure meeting him a few times.

I really hope if the Legacy show happens he will appear on it.

Worf was totally amazing in Picard. He’s one of the characters they should’ve brought out In season one. Slicing up Romulans is one of his favorite hobbies. 😂

NOW GIVE US THE LEGACY SHOW PARAMOUNT!!!

S3 was fantastic; Dorn, along with Frakes and McFadden, really shined. Of the TNG cast, those three owned that season.And Worf and Raffi … I’m so glad they didn’t try to link them romantically .. like basically just two bad ass heroes saving the day. If anything happens as far as the Legacy series goes, it would at least be nice to get a guest spot for Dorn so Worf and Raffi can do combat together again.

Exactly! That’s why so many people loved this season because we didn’t just get all these characters back after 20 years but they were all amazing, Worf, Riker and Beverly especially. I loved them being badasses but I just loved all the conversations and great one liners they had. None of it felt forced, they all had great chemistry together.

That’s why this season feels so different and special because we got to see the family together again and saw how great they all came together.

As for Raffe, she was my least favorite character on this show after season 2. But after season 3 I’m truly excited to see her in Legacy. Because Matalas is actually a great writer and really honed in on her positives.

Maybe if he was writing for MU Georgiou I could feel the same way about her too… maybe lol.

Like Spiner, they downplay the chances of Legacy, and that’s a good thing. They’re happy to work again under the right circumstances, but at the end of the day, it’s not a show that’s actually in development. It’s an idea by Matalas that has taken on a click bait life of its own. I feel like we’ve crossed the line into stringing fans along.

Reading between the lines, the powers that be are not really interested in continuing the 25th century without Patrick Stewart headlining it.

I disagree with this. Everyone seems to understand it’s not a show in development and may not ever be. But you could literally say the same thing about SNW. Again people want to have revisionist history over that but the reality is that show was never in development until fans started pushing for it. In fact it didn’t get announced until after Discovery season 2 has finished over a year later.

Now that was a different time, granted. That was when everyone was spending like crazy and they were trying to have Trek shows on a year. But ALSO remember Section 31 DIDN’T happen because they could still afford to only put so many shows on and that show was not only in development they had already written the first few episodes and had a starting date. I was in fact one of the people saying that SNW was NOT going to happen because Section 31 was already a thing… until it wasn’t.

My only point is we don’t know what will happen in the long term and fans do in fact influence these decisions. Maybe it will never happen, but if people don’t push for it then it won’t happen. Which is why it’s so bizarre to tell Star Trek fans to stop pushing for something even if it’s a long shot.

This is what we do lol.

Sorry when they were trying to have 5 Trek shows a year.

I think they knew a TNG reunion would catch a lot of eyeballs for their Picard finale but they couldn’t take it much farther than that. A Seven Spin off would be cool, but Jeri Ryan is more “Star Trek famous” while Stewart, like Yeoh, has crossover appeal.

The Academy show will create some new, younger characters the franchise needs. It’s probably a lot more affordable, basically moving into Discovery’s old work space. I’m looking forward to it. A Starfleet Academy show has been on my wishlist for decades.

I don’t believe in throwing anything away, and I don’t want to tell anybody what they should or shouldn’t be excited about. Things change and something might come up later. But right now everyone is telling us Legacy is not a thing, and I’m ready to live in the now. I don’t want to develop “Legacy tunnel vision”. I’m just pragmatic like that.

Ok fair enough. As long as people aren’t chaining themselves to the Paramount’s gates or putting themselves on fire to demand the Legacy show I don’t see any harm writing about on a message board.

Of course at some point if a few years go by and still nothing then it’s probably time to hang it up. I mean people were still pushing for the Tarantino movie even after the guy himself said he wasn’t interested. Not once did I ever tell anyone to move on because people just want what they want and the Internet is the place to push for things.

Worf is still the one Trek character who appeared the most in the franchise and you gotta appreciate how the character was developed over the years starting from the first season of TNG. Lots of props to Dorn’s work here and the writers/producers. It goes to show that if you create a really good character, no matter if it is an alien or a human, that character will go on forever.

Much appreciated their comments about Gene Roddenberry and his vision, because I really, really miss it.

I have been watching TNG since its inception in 87. I love the show, plot characters and the NCC-1701-D is by far the best looking ship in the entire starfleet. I love this show so much in fact I just bought the complete series in blu ray, I bought Picard the complete series and I just purchased the 5 movies with TNG characters. If the cast is healthy enough and willing to do it let them continue to bring that joy I once had as a child watching TNG. By far the best of the genre. It was awesome watching Geordi command the enterprise and even more so watching Dr. Crusher manually operate the weapons in Picard. You can tell the cast are like family and enjoyed doing these movies and shows. Please bring legacy to fruition!!!

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The long lost original model of the USS Enterprise has been returned

The model, in the opening credits of Star Trek , had been missing since the 1970s. It popped up on eBay last fall. The seller helped facilitate its return to the family of the creator of Star Trek .

(SOUNDBITE OF ALEXANDER COURAGE'S "THEME FROM STAR TREK")

LEILA FADEL, HOST:

Good morning. I'm Leila Fadel.

The long-lost original model of the USS Enterprise, the one that could be seen in the opening credits of the TV show "Star Trek," has been returned. Missing since the 1970s, the model popped up on eBay last fall. The seller eventually took down the item and helped facilitate its return to Rod Roddenberry, the son of the late "Star Trek" creator Gene Roddenberry. Roddenberry, the son, says he now hopes to get the model into a museum for the public to enjoy.

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Original ‘Star Trek’ Enterprise Model Is Found After Being Missing for Decades

The 33-inch model surfaced on eBay after disappearing around 1979. An auction house is giving it to the son of Gene Roddenberry, the creator of “Star Trek.”

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A model of the U.S.S. Enterprise stands on a wooden base against a black backdrop.

By Emily Schmall

The first model of the U.S.S. Enterprise, the starship that appeared in the opening credits of the original “Star Trek” television series , has been returned to Eugene Roddenberry Jr., the son of the creator of the series, decades after it went missing.

“After a long journey, she’s home,” Mr. Roddenberry wrote on social media on Thursday.

For die-hard Trekkies, the model’s disappearance had become the subject of folklore, so an eBay listing last fall, with a starting bid of $1,000, didn’t go unnoticed.

“Red alert,” someone in an online costume and prop-making forum wrote, linking to the listing.

Mr. Roddenberry’s father, Gene Roddenberry, created the television series, which first aired in 1966 and ran for three seasons. It spawned numerous spinoffs, several films and a franchise that has included conventions and legions of devoted fans with an avid interest in memorabilia.

The seller of the model was bombarded with inquiries and quickly took the listing down.

The seller contacted Heritage Auctions to authenticate it, the auction house’s executive vice president, Joe Maddalena, said on Saturday. As soon as the seller, who said he had found it in a storage unit, brought it to the auction house’s office in Beverly Hills, Calif., Mr. Maddalena said he knew it was real.

“That’s when I reached out to Rod to say, ‘We’ve got this. This is it,’” he said, adding that the model was being transferred to Mr. Roddenberry.

Mr. Roddenberry, who is known as Rod, said on Saturday that he would restore the model and seek to have it displayed in a museum or other institution. He said reclaiming the item had only piqued his interest in the circumstances about its disappearance.

“Whoever borrowed it or misplaced it or lost it, something happened somewhere,” he said. “Where’s it been?”

It was unclear how the model ended up in the storage unit and who had it before its discovery.

The original U.S.S. Enterprise, a 33-inch model, was mostly made of solid wood by Richard C. Datin, a model maker for the Howard Anderson Company, a special-effects company that created the opening credits for some of the 20th century’s biggest TV shows .

An enlarged 11-foot model was used in subsequent “Star Trek” television episodes, and is now part of the permanent collection of the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum , where it was donated by Paramount Studios in 1974.

Mr. Roddenberry, who said he gave the seller a “reward” for its recovery but did not disclose the terms, assembled a group of “Star Trek” production veterans, model makers and restoration specialists in Beverly Hills to authenticate the find.

The group included a “Star Trek” art supervisor, Michael Okuda, and his wife, Denise, an artist on “Star Trek” television series and films, and Gary Kerr, a “Trek x-pert” who served as technical consultant for the Smithsonian during a 2016 restoration of the 11-foot model.

“We spent at least an hour photographing it, inspecting the paint, inspecting the dirt, looking under the base, the patina on the stem, the grain in the wood,” Mr. Roddenberry said.

“It was a unanimous ‘This is 100 percent the one,’” he said.

Gene Roddenberry, who died in 1991 , kept the original model, which appeared in the show’s opening credits and pilot episode, on his desk.

Mr. Kerr compared the model to 1960s photos he had of the model on Mr. Roddenberry’s desk.

“The wood grain matched exactly, so that was it,” he said on Saturday.

The model went missing after Mr. Roddenberry lent it to the makers of “Star Trek: The Motion Picture,” which was released in 1979, Mr. Maddalena said.

“This is a major discovery,” he said, likening the model to the ruby slippers from “The Wizard of Oz,” a prop that was stolen in 2005 and recovered by the F.B.I. in 2018, and that Heritage Auctions is selling.

While the slippers represent hope, he said, the starship Enterprise model “represents dreams.”

“It’s a portal to what could be,” he said.

Emily Schmall covers breaking news and feature stories and is based in Chicago. More about Emily Schmall

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Screen Rant

Worf’s enterprise-e story is a perfect star trek movie idea.

One of the funniest moments in Star Trek: Picard season 3 neatly sets up a spinoff movie with the Klingon Worf as Captain of the USS Enterprise-E.

Warning: SPOILERS for Star Trek: Picard Season 3 Star Trek: Picard inadvertently hit on a great standalone movie idea about the beloved Klingon warrior Worf (Michael Dorn) as Captain of the USS Enterprise-E. Paramount+ is making the jump to producing Star Trek feature films, with the upcoming Section 31 starring Academy Award-winner Michelle Yeoh as the first entry. While there is no shortage of ideas for what could make a compelling Star Trek movie, Star Trek: Picard season 3 proved there's an epic story to be told with Worf.

Worf's return became one of the most beloved aspects of Star Trek: Picard season 3, now something of a warrior monk with an unmatched ability to deliver a punchline. Intriguingly, in the Picard season 3 episode "Vox," while on the run from the Borg, Commodore Geordi La Forge (LeVar Burton) notes that Admiral Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) and his crew need to use an older ship not networked to the rest of Starfleet, but that they obviously can't use the USS Enterprise-E, at which point they all turn to look at Worf, who claims the ship's fate was not his fault.

Related: Worf's Enterprise-E Disaster In Picard Confirms Sisko's DS9 Warning

Worf’s Enterprise-E Story Is A Perfect Star Trek Movie Idea

A Star Trek movie made for streaming on Paramount+ featuring Worf as the Captain of the USS Enterprise-E would not only be a great showcase for Michael Dorn, it could answer a question every fan came out of Star Trek: Picard season 3 wondering: what happened to the USS Enterprise-E? Just as important, it would be a chance to revisit Worf one more time in his Starfleet prime. A Worf movie set aboard the Enterprise-E would solve a canon mystery as well as let Worf finally take center stage.

Worf is an ideal candidate to headline his own Star Trek movie. Long one of Star Trek' s most celebrated supporting characters, Worf has evolved and grown in numerous ways over his impressive franchise run, through both Star Trek: The Next Generation and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. DS9 , in particular, proved Worf had leadership skills, and was more than capable of commanding a starship. If there was any lingering doubt that Micheal Dorn could carry his own show, Star Trek: Picard season 3 well and truly wiped that away.

Picard Season 3 Proved Worf Is One Of Star Trek’s Greatest Characters

Ever since he debuted in the very first episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation , Worf has been a beloved, important character. Unquestionably the most iconic Klingon, Worf has the ability to weave between comedy and tragedy in a way very few characters can. Worf's time on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine only solidified his reputation as an all-timer.

If there was any remaining doubt that Worf is one of Star Trek 's greatest characters, it was well and truly erased by Star Trek: Picard season 3. Dorn still looks amazing as Worf with his luxurious mane of white hair. He's also never been funnier, delivering a ton of memorable one-liners that consistently bring the house down. Revisiting Worf aboard the USS Enterprise-E would be an easy, fun way for Star Trek to satisfy the appetites of viewers who clearly still want Star Trek: The Next Generation -related content.

Star Trek: Picard Season 3 is available to stream on Paramount+.

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Long-lost first model of the USS Enterprise from ‘Star Trek’ boldly goes home after twisting voyage

The first model of the USS Enterprise is displayed at Heritage Auctions in Los Angeles, April 13, 2024. The model — used in the original “Star Trek” television series — has been returned to Eugene “Rod” Roddenberry, the son of “Star Trek” creator Gene Roddenberry, decades after it went missing in the 1970s. (Josh David Jordan/Heritage Auctions via AP)

The first model of the USS Enterprise is displayed at Heritage Auctions in Los Angeles, April 13, 2024. The model — used in the original “Star Trek” television series — has been returned to Eugene “Rod” Roddenberry, the son of “Star Trek” creator Gene Roddenberry, decades after it went missing in the 1970s. (Josh David Jordan/Heritage Auctions via AP)

Joe Maddalena, executive vice president of Heritage Auctions, left, and Eugene “Rod” Roddenberry, the son of “Star Trek” creator Gene Roddenberry, shake hands over the recently recovered first model of the USS Enterprise at the Heritage Auctions in Los Angeles, April 13, 2024. The model — used in the original “Star Trek” television series — has been returned to Eugene, decades after it went missing in the 1970s. (Josh David Jordan/Heritage Auctions via AP)

Joe Maddalena, executive vice president of Heritage Auctions, left, and Eugene “Rod” Roddenberry, the son of “Star Trek” creator Gene Roddenberry, view the recently recovered first model of the USS Enterprise at Heritage Auctions in Los Angeles, April 13, 2024. The model — used in the original “Star Trek” television series — has been returned to Eugene, decades after it went missing in the 1970s. (Josh David Jordan/Heritage Auctions via AP)

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DALLAS (AP) — The first model of the USS Enterprise — used in the opening credits of the original “Star Trek” television series — has boldly gone back home, returning to creator Gene Roddenberry’s son decades after it went missing.

The model’s disappearance sometime in the 1970s had become the subject of lore, so it caused a stir when it popped up on eBay last fall. The sellers quickly took it down, and then contacted Dallas-based Heritage Auctions to authenticate it. Last weekend, the auction house facilitated the model’s return.

Eugene “Rod” Roddenberry, CEO of Roddenberry Entertainment, said he’s thrilled to have the model that had graced the desk of his father, who died in 1991 at age 70.

“This is not going home to adorn my shelves,” Roddenberry said. “This is going to get restored and we’re working on ways to get it out so the public can see it and my hope is that it will land in a museum somewhere.”

AP AUDIO: Long-lost first model of the USS Enterprise from ‘Star Trek’ boldly goes home after twisting voyage.

AP correspondent Margie Szaroleta reports on the return of the original model of the USS Enterprise from the TV show “Star Trek.”

Heritage’s executive vice president, Joe Maddalena, said the auction house was contacted by people who said they’d discovered it a storage unit, and when it was brought into their Beverly Hills office, he and a colleague “instantly knew that it was the real thing.”

This image released by Disney/Pixar shows Joy, voiced by Amy Poehler, left, and Anxiety, voiced by Maya Hawke, in a scene from "Inside Out 2." (Disney/Pixar via AP)

They reached out to Roddenberry, who said he appreciates that everyone involved agreed returning the model was the right thing to do. He wouldn’t go into details on the agreement reached but said “I felt it important to reward that and show appreciation for that.”

Maddalena said the model vanished in the 1970s after Gene Roddenberry loaned it to makers of “Star Trek: The Motion Picture,” which was released in 1979.

“No one knew what happened to it,” Rod Roddenberry said.

The 3-foot (0.91-meter) model of the USS Enterprise was used in the show’s original pilot episode as well as the opening credits of the resulting TV series, and was the prototype for the 11-foot (3-meter) version featured in the series’ episodes. The larger model is on display at the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum.

The original “Star Trek” television series, which aired in the late 1960s, kicked off an ever-expanding multiverse of cultural phenomena, with TV and movie spinoffs and conventions where a fanbase of zealous and devoted Trekkies can’t get enough of memorabilia.

This USS Enterprise model would easily sell for more than $1 million at auction, but really “it’s priceless,” Maddalena said.

“It could sell for any amount and I wouldn’t be surprised because of what it is,” he said. “It is truly a cultural icon.”

Roddenberry, who was just a young boy when the model went missing, said he has spotty memories of it, “almost a deja vu.” He said it wasn’t something he’d thought much about until people began contacting him after it appeared on eBay.

“I don’t think I really, fully comprehended at first that this was the first Enterprise ever created,” he said.

He said he has no idea if there was something nefarious behind the disappearance all those decades ago or if it was just mistakenly lost, but it would be interesting to find out more about what happened.

“This piece is incredibly important and it has its own story and this would be a great piece of the story,” Roddenberry said.

Thankfully, he said, the discovery has cleared up one rumor: That it was destroyed because as a young boy, he’d thrown it into a pool.

“Finally I’m vindicated after all these years,” he said with a laugh.

michael dorn star trek enterprise

michael dorn star trek enterprise

The bad idea behind the naming of Star Trek: Enterprise

B efore Star Trek: Enterprise became Star Trek: Enterprise, it had been decided during the development of the series that the "Star Trek" would be dropped. For some reason, the powers-that-be, including Rick Berman, had the idea that dropping the colon would help the series be "dramatically different." According to Berman, as reported in The Fifty Year Mission: The Next 25 Years, From The Next Generation to J.J. Abrams, The Complete Uncensored and Unauthorized Oral History of Star Trek by Mark A. Altman and Edward Gross, he thought it "might be fun" to not have a division between Star Trek and the main title.

And I thought that if there's any one word that says Star Trek without actually saying Star Trek, it's the word "enterprise." Rick Berman

But fans weren't happy that a long-standing tradition had been dropped. Combine that with the theme song, and there was even more unhappy fans. But that's not the worst part of this scenario.

When the ratings weren't as high as they hoped and were actually dropping in the second season, all of a sudden, it was time to put Star Trek in the title. Perhaps the executives were thinking people weren't watching because they didn't know it was a Trek show.

"As if anybody out there was going to say, 'Damn, I didn't know that was a Star Trek show.' So it became Star Trek: Enterprise the last two years.Rick Berman

The reasons behind Enterprise's failure had little to do with the series' name. I, for one, am a big fan of the series, but even I saw issues with it that had nothing to do with what it was called or the theme song. Quite frankly, I didn't think the right people were in charge of the scripts, and that was just one of the problems. There just simply weren't enough great stories, which is a shame because when Enterprise did have a great story, like Terra Prime, they really did it right.

There were plenty of other standout episodes during the series' four-season run, but obviously, it wasn't enough to satisfy the ratings. The idea, though, to attach Star Trek to the title after two seasons was a dismal failure. People weren't failing to watch because of the name; they were failing to watch because they didn't like the way the series was being written. I would have gladly watched more episodes, but there just weren't enough people who felt the same way.

This article was originally published on redshirtsalwaysdie.com as The bad idea behind the naming of Star Trek: Enterprise .

The bad idea behind the naming of Star Trek: Enterprise

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To Boldly Return —

Long-lost model of the uss enterprise returned to roddenberry family, it showed up in an ebay listing; now roddenberry's son wants to show it to fans..

Samuel Axon - Apr 19, 2024 9:05 pm UTC

This mysterious model appeared on eBay with little fanfare.

The first-ever model of Star Trek's USS Enterprise NCC-1701 has been returned to the Roddenberry family, according to an ABC News report.

The 3-foot model was used to shoot the pilot and credits scene for Star Trek's original series in the 1960s and was used occasionally for shots throughout the series. (Typically, a larger, 11-foot model was used for shots after the pilot.) The model also sat on series creator Gene Roddenberry's desk for several years.

It went missing in the late 1970s; historians and collectors believe it belonged to Roddenberry himself, that he lent it to a production house working on Star Trek: The Motion Picture, and that it was never returned. Its whereabouts were unknown until last fall, when a listing for a mysterious model of the Enterprise appeared on eBay .

Further Reading

The eBay account that posted the item specialized in selling artifacts found in storage lockers that end up without an owner, either because of failure to pay or death.

The model appeared in this promotional image with Roddenberry.

The model was turned over by the eBay seller to Texas-based Heritage Auctions. News spread that it had been discovered, and Gene Roddenberry's son, Eugene "Rod" Roddenberry, made public statements that he would like to see it returned to his family.

After that, there were months of silence, and its fate was unknown—until now. Heritage Auctions announced that it had given the model to Rod Roddenberry. Details of the exchange have not been shared, but Roddenberry said he did compensate Heritage in some way.

Heritage reached out directly to Roddenberry upon acquiring the object and reportedly decided to return it because it was "the right thing to do." Roddenberry said that he "felt it important to reward that and show appreciation for that" but didn't disclose a sum.

Promotional images of the model with William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy.

Roddenberry also revealed what he has planned for the model:

This is not going home to adorn my shelves. This is going to get restored and we’re working on ways to get it out so the public can see it, and my hope is that it will land in a museum somewhere.

He runs a group called the Roddenberry Foundation that has scanned and digitized many relics from Star Trek's ideation and production over the years, so it's likely the Foundation will get a crack at the model, too.

Listing image by eBay

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